Gennaro Befanio was born in Naples, Italy, to French parents. It is believed that he resided in Naples until his late teens or early twenties before relocating to Paris. He studied at the Institut Napolitain des Beaux-Arts in Naples under the tutelage of Filippo Palizzi (Italian, 1818–1899), who later became the President of the Beaux-Arts in Naples.
A painter of genre scenes and portraits, Befanio was a modern artist whose works were executed in an Impressionist style, characterized by a light color palette and loose brushwork. He often depicted women and nudes positioned near windows, as well as elegant views of Paris, as seen in this piece. Befanio began exhibiting in Paris in 1904 and later at the Salon des Artistes Français, where he earned an honorable mention for the quality of his submissions. In 1909, he received a second-class prize, and shortly after 1920, he was awarded the title of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur.
